Stolen Words
by Keira U
Summary: Drabble Collection. Mostly Of SasuSaku. Chap 10: She’s just across the counter. – And out of reach.
1. Prolouge: Their Names

Their Names

* * *

It was foretold in their names.

Sasuke.  
Sakura.

They spent the first two chapters of their life together.  
Was split up on the first stroke of the third letter.  
Met again on the opening of the fourth.

And the rest were claimed by death.


	2. Even Though

Even Though

Disclaimer: I Own Nothing.

A/N: Just before they were attacked by the 2 nin on the way to Wave Country. Can fit in wherever you want it to.

* * *

That stupid baka.. Making so much noise like that.

_(even though it brings respite to an otherwise uneventful road trip – not that you would ever tell him that )_

Enemy-nin would have no problem finding us thanks to him.

Damn Sakura. My ear drums hurt.

_(even though you'll never be able to pass a day unsettled without it – not that you would ever tell her that)_

Annoying girl. Brains with no brawn. Terrible shinobi.

_(even though you'll love to help her – you know better than to)_

Damned Heat. I want a tomato. I'll even settle just for a water break.  
_(even though you know better than to show weakness)_

Damned Itachi. He should just die.

_(even though you know you'll never be satisfied unless it was by your hand that he died)_

_And you know you still continue to think these poisonous thoughts – even though you know you're not supposed to._

* * *

A/N: Very random – I know. 


	3. Sasuke Fears

A/N : For Kerri, my best bud. For Shuu-chan, just because.

Disclaimer : Not mine.

* * *

He clams up. Opting instead to back to his indifferent façade and answered with his trademark, 'Hn'. - He has said too much already.

_(And her lit up face dims again. Resigned, that today, the door of opportunity was not hers to exploit.) _

Sasuke fears.

Fears that if he said too much they would treat him like a delicate doll, breakable, or even worse – _pity_ him.

_(And follow him around expecting his collapse at anytime. Look at him like everyone on the streets who only see the Uchiha and not the Sasuke.)_

Fears that if he says too much, he'll say it all and his secret would be -

_(gonelostbroken)_

- and he would break down into just another empty shell like those at the mental hospital rambling about unseen and unreal things all day.

_(And his facades would all slip away. Masks broken and torn away. Showing the world his face of pain.)_

Fears that if he opened up his world, she would come closer, breaking down his walls of protection made of coldness and numbness. Of ignorance, of hatred - born to protect her from his past.

_(And that she would take his pain for her own. Bringing her down along with him – One is enough a victim of a tragedy.)_

Fears that she would be repulsed by the horrors of his past and will distance herself from him, horrified and disgusted of what he was made of and what he has to become.

_(And that he would lose it all. His last and only spark of light made of the unconditional love he so craved when younger – and still does for.)_

Fears that he would lose her. His Sakura – The last light in his world of broken glass and murky darkness.

_(And the last star in the endless night and sky.)_


	4. Bloodied Orange

Bloodied Orange.

Disclaimer : Not mine.

Summary: Power comes with a price. SasuNaru-esque friendship. Sasuke - centric.

* * *

Blood. 

A lot of it.

There was all there was registering in his mind. That and the dulling blue eyes of life. The candle that had stayed close by one way or another throughout his whole life was going out before his eyes.

A child's scream put thunder to shame as lightning flashed and rain fell anti-climatically. The sound of death was everywhere. The crow squawked in the background. The dividing river's roaring grew from a background distraction to all that he could hear as his whirling mind caught up with the tempo of reality set by mighty nature herself.

The ironies in the parallels formed between now and the past long buried deep down in the depths of time surfaced once more. Was that really that long ago that he last stood here in the desperate attempt to come to terms with reality? The situation screamed with a stark contrast to anyone who had borne witness to both events. The one who had lain at the other's mercy before, now lay still.

Forever.

Trademark orange tendrils wound its way around said person desperately in a vain attempt to bring the dead back to the living. As blood pooled on the rock where he lay, it formed a miniature river of its own, flowing to join its mightier counterpart as the glowing ghastly orange faded from sight and he lay there still and unmoving.

'No.' The simple monosyllabic word held the unbelieving tremble of his mind. His unbelieving eyes shut in a vain attempt to block out the stimuli of the scene before him. His other senses, heightened to inhuman levels by virtue of the training he had pushed himself through to ensure survival now betrayed his mind – serving to only increase the effort put in by this mind to push him through the barrier to insanity. He tasted blood and guilt in his mouth and throat. His skin crawled and tingled alternatively with the waves of torture and of the struggle to survive colliding in the air.

The whirling darkness made way for a splitting migraine as he collapsed to his knees, the pain from scrapped knees unregistering as his tortured souls' voice was carried through the lands in a pure chilling cry composed of pain, hysteria and agony.

Fire burned from within his skull, licking away at his eyes, roasting them a new, cursed tone of red. Remnants of the gene he was once proud to carry at work.

Power had come to this lone, lost avenger at last.

But.

Power came with a price. And this one was too high a one to be worth paying for.

* * *

A/N: How was it? R&R please.

* * *


	5. Failure

A/N: Scene from the Chuunin Exams arc where Naruto and Gaara fight it out. – Where Sasuke catches Sakura as she falls when Gaara's power had been broken and the sand no longer held her.

* * *

Failure

And then she's in my arms, unconscious but perfectly unhurt –

_(And she fills me with a sense of sadness and bittersweet accomplishment which should never exist)_

And as I place her gently on the branch, I pray, hard, that she will be safe here.

And I want to stay with her and protect her from the dangers in the forest that has already come for her but –

No. I can't.

And I have to resist the urge to stroke her hair just one last time, - because I'm scared that I will fail in protecting her and that I would come back to find a still and motionless body that was the cause of my weakness, my lack of strength to protect one precious to me.

And I cannot bring myself to believe that I'm going to abandon her, My Sakura, to a dog's care.

I am despicable,

A failure,

A bastard Uchiha - unworthy to carry the name.

* * *

A/N : Short, I know. I'm sorry. The next one is going to be much longer. Just trust me.


	6. Trees

A/N: Saw a screen shot with Sasuke and his hand pressed against a tree with his eyes closed. Got inspired and here we are.

Disclaimer : Naruto does not belong to me.

Dedication : To all SasuSaku fans out there - just because.

* * *

**Trees.**

The damned compound was surrounded by them.

Trust Orochimaru-idiot to build the damned compound somewhere where he would be constantly reminded of his damned home. Curse the leaf symbol he had worn on his forehead.

At least the snake monster had the brains to build the compound out of stone. If it were made of wood… there probably won't be any compound left and that… would have been a good thing, Sasuke finally decided.

Sometimes, when the training got too stressful or when he had some time off - he snorted. Time off indeed - the only time he got that was when Orochimaru-idiot was called to see one of his experiments die. Mostly if he just fancied a walk, he would go to brook he had found in the surrounding forest not long after he had arrived in this ill-fated place. Listening to the river flow beside him calmed his murderous thoughts towards a certain weasel, Itachi, a sidekick, Kabuto, and Orochimaru the Snake Idiot.

After a while he had built a bridge of sorts. Just a few tree trunks placed over the width of the river. He would lie on them and watch the sky or the water. The first time he did that he got so nostalgic he almost puked. That was before he regained his control of his emotions, or lack of emotions and remembered his purpose. So what if the bridge had reminded him of his Genin days with his team. What about the times when they had waited on their bridge for their ever-late perverted sensei. Where Sakura would always pester him to go on a date with her and where the dobe would always be loudly proclaiming that he would be Hokage one day and that he would beat him in a fight.

His team, Team 7 and _their_ bridge.

Oh Gods, he was getting too soft.

There was only revenge and nothing more. Revenge…Revenge... and more Revenge…

Even the bridge itself bothered him. It was made from trees for God's sake! TREES!

It could have been an Uchiha trait or a Konoha trait, - He might never know.

When he placed his palm on the familiar woody bark of the trunk he felt an overwhelming sense of calm. When he heard the leaves rustle he just knew what they meant though they spoke no language known to man. It was a gut instinct. It was a bond.

When he fought among trees he was at the height of his prowess. His trust in them and believe in which he placed in them to help him never wavered. It was as if he was at _Home_ with the tree. As if he belonged there, to that place, on the tree. Like how he felt about his home before Itachi…

The familiarity he had with them went unrivaled within the sound and among his enemies. He just _knew_ when an enemy had been on that tree or if the tree would protect him from whatever jutsu was on the way. It was as though the trees where his only unfailing friend in this barren wasteland he had sentenced himself to. His last bond to his home that can never be broken no matter how hard he tries. Blood cannot be broken.

Damn the trees and their leaves.

Damn trees.

Damn leaves.

Damn Konoha.

Damn Itachi.

Damn the fact that he was leaf ninja at heart and by blood.

**And all the lives we ever lived**

**And all the lives to be,**

**Are full of trees and changing leaves.**

* * *

A/N: The last 3 lines are from a book. Which I can't remember but do not own.


	7. The Sea and Rain

A/N : I know that Konoha is not near the Sea but please just over look that fact for me

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Dedication: For Sarah and Shuu.

_Italics are speech between Sasuke and Sakura._

* * *

**The Sea and Rain.**

* * *

The Sea.

Sasuke had forgotten its existence. An ancient being, present since the start of life. He felt dwarfed in comparison. His significance was nothing compared to it who ruled and guided much of their lives. Its tides and storms, typhoons, tsunamis, - just to name a few, affected them so much in its many ways. A simple wave crashing down on the beach could bring about huge changes in their course in life, causing anything from someone dying to an extra catch of fish. The subtle butterfly effect working away with nature's cause. It was a bubbling spitting mixture that could throw out anything at you, whenever it wanted to, sending you grief or joy in a moment of anger, in a single lash at the land.

_Sasuke-kun. I surprised you came here of all places. _

She was right he supposed. He wasn't one who had the time to relax and enjoy nature's countless wonders. He wasn't one who would sit down in the swirling sand and reflect on his life in the cold turbulent air on a storming day, wondering why he was born.

_Hn._

She joined him on the sand, both of them drenched in the life giving liquid, water. None of them made a move. To defend, to initiate a fight, to banter or to do anything at all. His hair was being tamed by the rain, its spikes pushed down, giving him a less aggressive look, one look of being tired. Of having had enough of life already.

_What are you doing here?_

He was so tired. The weasel was dead and gone, he was back where he belonged, where once life was safe and warm - but wasn't now. His trail still hasn't ended and even though Naruto, who had made it to Hokage after all this years, was pushing for everything in Sasuke's favour, Sasuke knew, just knew that the council could careless of his opinion and make him pay no matter what anyone did. He didn't care much for it actually. He was just so tired. So, so, so tired of running everywhere, here and there and he just wanted to sit down for a moment and look back at what made up 18 years of his gone life.

_I don't know. _

She watched conflicting emotions flicker across this familiar face. Something only she could see, from what everyone else saw as apathetic. She thought she spied tiredness, loneliness and most prominently, confusion. She supposed he had the right to be tired, chasing after his past for so many years. She supposed he had the right to be lonely, with no true companionship during all his time away from home. She supposed he had the right to be confused, now that he had lost his life goal in a moment of bitter triumph and victory, conquering his past had left him where he started all those years ago before the tragedy and no way to the present which he had lost to that day in the past. The missing years were given to a day long past, hardly present in the mind of the people, only constantly fully alive in his mind. Now that all that could be let go, with his revenge done and the souls of the dead appeased with his successful effort at avenging them, what was he to do?

_What are you going to do from now?_

He felt her warm hand enclose around his, fingers winding through his, intertwining both of theirs together, wet sand clinging to their skin. She gave his hand a little squeeze and resisted smirking at the thought of her comforting him, after all that he had wrecked in her life. She was too forgiving of him, she should expect more from him. For after all, all she had gotten from him was a measly 'Thank You' and the experience of getting knocked out. Slowly, he tightened his grip on her hand slightly, acknowledging her care and concern and in his own way, telling her not to worry.

_I don't know._

The fact remained that he didn't know what to do from this step in his life. He had no path onwards with no goal to push him forward. His roots and the remaining few alive that care for him were in Konoha and that pulled him back. His desire and completion to escape the remaining dregs of his past and his mistakes too great to bury drove him away from the place. The tension of opposites: Which to follow? Where to go?

_I came to tell you…That...The verdict is out. _

He was…amused. Of all in the multitude of emotions she had to raise an eyebrow at his choice. She too was surprised at the speed in which the council had decided. But, it was the lack of emotion displayed by him that startled her. It was as if he didn't care anymore.

_Go on. _

He felt like smirking. What a great irony. Here he was deciding what he was to do next as the next step of his life and there they were, arguing away on how to dictate it for him. They had finally made up their minds he supposed.

_In light of killing Orochimaru and four other Akatsuki, status as S-class missing-nin dropped and reinstated as Chuunin. For defecting and various other charges like that of attacking other fellow Konoha Shinobi, missions done will not be paid for for 18 months. 250 hours of community service in addition to the 18 months which can be cleared off in the form of missions. _

He laughed. They just wanted him for his abilities! Uchiha! Again! And here he was thinking of abandoning his past. The gibbering fools only saw the Uchiha and not the Sasuke. They only saw him for his uses and how it could do good for the village and themselves.

_I don't want to stay in the village Sakura. Maybe in the future, - but not now. _

He would have to complete his sentence before he ran. He had wasted 18 years. Another 18 months were of no difference. He would have to take his Jounin and then his Anbu or Hunter-nin exams soon if he were to be able to get away from the village without being chased after for defection.

_I understand. Naruto has already assigned you a mission partner and he's waiting with the scroll in the office. We can leave whenever you're ready. _

He smirked. She had to smile at that. It seems that no matter the time they spent apart, those two would know each other like brothers. True ones. Not born of blood but of solid understanding and friendship brought to the next degree. She had to approve of the Naruto that had changed from the excessively noisy kid who did everything on impulse to one who was quick to catch on and yet still retained the buoyant laughter from childhood.

_Let's go. _

And through the rain they went, back through the forest, into the Hokage's office, dripping wet, fingers still intertwined together in a new understanding.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry that it's rather confusing. Feedback would be good. -smiles-


	8. Painted Sunrise

**Paint**

Summary: He was the black smudge on her painted sunrise.

Notes : X-posted to narutocontest on livejournal.

* * *

Pinks swirled and mended into vibrant oranges and hues of red, contrasting against glowing yellow as an image slowly took form on the plain white canvas, moving in a slow, passionate rhythm of both the brush and the artist.

As she added more colour to the rapidly brightening canvas before her, Sakura reveled in her control over her art. Regardless of the number of times she painted, she never got over the thrill of domination. Always relished in the knowledge that, with a flick of her wrist, the picture could careen from a fantasy to a tragedy.

It was as though her life was a work in progress by another artist, or a God. Their hands depicting the course of events that would change her –

_(emotions, reactions, dreams, __destiny)_

– life.

Even so, sometimes, even the best would fall and the painting would crash down to the floor, - a beautiful disaster.

Much like what had happened to her.

But even the worst can be salvaged given time and patience and as her painter had evidently done for her, as his masterpiece, she had bloomed into a beautiful flower, comparable to her namesake – the _Sakura._

Shades of golden threw itself over her canvas as her favourite time of day –

_(the __sunrise)_

- was coloured by her hand.

She breathed life into the art, painting with her heart and soul, her memories and hopes, her dreams and future, her past and present, pain and joy.

But even the most pure and vibrant must have a darker side to it and as she reached for her purples and blacks, blues and browns to complete the shadows of her painting, -

_(she saw his silhouette against the setting sun in her window__ and)_

- it crashed down to the floor. A black smudge on the horizon formed exactly where he stood.

She righted her _(best)_ work and felt like crying over her lost hours, but then swallowed the tears back down.

She would be strong, - her strength wouldn't leave her now.

Gazing back out of her window at his silhouette against the setting sun, she decided that he made her picture complete.

He was part of her life.

_He was the black smudge on her painted sunrise._


	9. Hearts in Beat

Disclaimer : Naruto does not belong to me.

A/N: AU

Summary : She was the rave queen. And he was the king.

Notes : X-posted to writingrainbow lj

**Hearts in Beat.**

* * *

The music was wild and ran on forever.

It pounded against her ears, her heart and her core as drug-laced blood rushed through her system, pushing up her hype and drugging her with the atmosphere thickened with sex, drugs and sweat.

_The queen was going into action tonight. _

Sex-driven boys and drugged up girls, lackeys and wannabes. All gathered around, forming a circle around her dance area as her hips swayed and her barely concealed, sweat slicked body was ogled at.

Each move was executed in response to the 

_pound, pound, pounding _music blaring out. Limbs moved like flowing water only to be like forked lightning in the next movement, everyone of them _snap, snap, snapping _attention.

Energy flowed from her form, burning everything it touched.

_It felt so good. _

_Boom, boom, boom._

Nothing was more in sync with the music than the rhythm of her heart and soul; she was in her element, her property, her estate.

She was the Queen.

Without a King.

The final chord was a blast and her pose was riot.

Red tube top and black micro-skirt. Her clothes hardly covered anything.

But now, nothing was covered.

Wild cries and fueled males catcalled and came on the spot.



Her flirtatious grin did nothing to help.

And then, he came.

The crowd parted around the lone figure in black leather sliding down the path like he owned the world.

Which he did.

He owned the world.

Their kingdom of dance and drugs.

He stopped in front of her, looking down into her vibrant green eyes, staring into his own of obsidian.

'Dance?'

His voice was lowly tuned to carry over the screaming mesh of the drugged and doped, dirty and poisoned.

He got a smirk in reply.

The crowd went wild silent when they assumed their positions.

And the music started up.

_Bang!_

Their pose struck the chord and their movements played the notes and he ground his hips against hers and she ground back, both moving in their wild stipulated tempo.

_Boom!_

Each new chord brought poses in increasing stages of intimacy.

Beautifully dangerous. That was the combination that music and dance made. It made strangers become lovers, friends turn into traitors, brought kings to their queens.

_Shout!_

The music was at their command, doing as they pleased. Their mouths touched just as the bass surfaced and his hand took her hip when the singer's mouth snapped up.

_Scream!_

Crashing lyrics wound around in the air as the two moved faster and faster, movements bringing them so close to the point of panic, before the next motion whirled them away to opposite ends of the dance floor.

_Crash!_

The final pose was a work of art in itself. As if they hadn't already had sex with their clothes on throughout the course of the song, but this. This showed their breathe mingling; sweat mixing, heart running as one.

Her hand on his chest, his around his neck. His hands held her from below and behind. Their mouths locked in a frozen kiss.

King and Queen.

And this was their kingdom of bulging beats and rushing veins.

Their hearts beat out a crazy, wild, tempo that the music followed like a loyal server serving their master. The piercing melody wove their minds together and their bodies obeyed the orders of their joined minds.

_Boom. Boom. Boom._

'I want to make you mine.'


	10. Dying Star

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Dedication: To Sarah.

Summary: Watch the stars. For they tell much.

Notes : X-posted to writingrainbow on lj

**The Dying Star**

* * *

The blued-grey sky embraced the world with its arms of mist and fog. Within it, the world stilled into a silent peace. Even the tress grew quiet of its rustlings.

Uchiha Sasuke set watching the last watery pink dregs of the Sun slip below the horizon with eyes that bored into the past. All was quiet but for the soft, barely audible breathing of a lone man.

Darkness engulfed the earth in the frozen moments before the stars grew into existence.

The man had yet to move from his position.

Darkness was all that composed his pupils. Yet, were they _his_ darkness? Or were they merely reflecting the stillness of the night?

-_It was always said that the eyes were the doorway to the soul-_

Timidly, the first star eased its wan light into existence. Almost immediately, others found the courage to shine their own light upon the earth so dark.

_'Typical, always waiting for the other to go first. Too afraid of what would happen to themselves. Too afraid of being wrong. Too afraid of failing.'_

'_Maybe I'll be the first this time.'_

'_And yet, they all rush out together. Also too afraid of being the last.'_

Blanked out features rearranged themselves into what they remembered as a smirk: The first movements from the man since hours before.

He lifted his gaze towards the heavens, looking at all and yet nothing at the same time.

It was beautiful cloudless night for stargazing.

_Blue star blazing its ice cold light to the right of the burning yellow star to the right of the gently glowing pink star, all watched by the watchful green star above them. _

_Purple star and a white star to the right of the blue star as if gently drawing the blue star away._

_Red star below the blue star burning it away…_

The lone man watched and watched all night, his orbs taking in everything and yet nothing…

The blue star shimmered and faded away as dawn broke and silence was all that could be heard.

* * *

A/N: Yes. Sasuke died.


	11. Bar Tending

Dedication: Sarah

Summary: She's just across the counter. – And out of reach.

A/N: AU

**Bar tending.**

Your hands move mechanically, having repeated the same actions day in day out for the past thousands of days. You hold your glass up to the light and spit on it, unsatisfied. You go back to wiping it.

The corner of your eye twitches as an unnamed bloke with the girth of an elephant settles down before you and blocks your view. Yes, that's all that you do. Twitch your eye. After all, you are Uchiha Sasuke, and you're not allowed to show emotions.

'Sake.'

You don't even look as you reach for the steaming clay flask behind you, slamming it down before this oh so annoying _large_ customer (won't he just get the hint and _move off!_) and sweeping the dulled coins off the counter.

He moves off and you continue watching as you always do.

_She_ in sharp contrast to the elephant man, moved with the grace of a gazelle and the footsteps of a panther. She bends over a table to serve a customer, exposing some skin. But you find no reason to object.

Your eyes narrow as a gorilla (don't they have the decency to even _shave?_) settles his mammoth hand on her butt and you resist the urge to burst from behind the counter and _just kill him_ like you've done thousands of time before. She growls, slapping the hand away as you watch her lips part and deliver bitingly sharp retorts.

She stomps off and somehow manages to slink her way through the screaming mesh of flashes and dancers to settle in the now vacated barstool before you.

'They _never_ learn. What's happened to decency these days.' She growls out to start the conversation.

You slide a martini over (her favourite) murmuring in your lowly tuned voice to carry over the yelling mesh of _customers_.

'This isn't your first day Sakura.'

You know you speak in roundabouts but you just can't be bothered to change. That way, only the intelligent will understand you and this allows (gives you an _excuse_) to roll her name off your tongue.

'Doesn't change the fact that these _lechers_,' she sulked in contempt, 'can't keep their hands to themselves.'

You smirk in mock amusement at her, letting the facial expression slide into your words.

'We've had to change the bed sheets more than once.'

You resist the urge to grin for that is _not _what you do. Instead you let a glimmer enter your eye as her already flushed face grew tomato red.

'Sa-Sa-Sasuke-kun!' she stammers out.

You inwardly revel in her calling out your name with such an affectionate tag on. Outwardly, you tell her that table four was calling.

She slides off the barstool and saunters away, already having made the smooth transaction back into hostess-mode.

You sweep her martini off the counter just as your bouncer comes in. He settles down before you and you bother to quirk at him.

'Aw come on now, teme! Give me a break. Besides, I've got Sai out there watching the line.'

'Naruto. He's. Gay.'

He waves his hand around airily. 'So am I. Sake. I told him not to let anyone in till I got back.'

You grunt as you hand him his drink, making the effort to remind him that, 'I'm taking this out of your pay.'

'Bastard.' He offers before leaving.

You had the best friends didn't you.

A random girl comes over and starts flirting with you. But you can't be bothered because you've only got eyes for one and she's across the bar, working for you.

***

It's later that night. Or was it day? When finally the last drunkards stagger off and your bar was blissfully devoid of girls flirting with you, perverts taking their turns at your hostesses and drunkards and flashes killing your eardrums.

You watch as Naruto wobbles off, with one arm around Sai and you thank the heavens that you're straight.

She stays with you as you sweep and clear the table tops, just sitting there nursing her Sake.

Done, you face her across the counter top and both of you spend some quiet time together. You gazing at her. She, at the past and future.

Finally, there is a shift in the silence and you ask her, 'No one tonight?'

'No one was pretty enough.' She mumbled, tired out from walking the floors in her 6-inch heels and heavy make-up.

In your mind you change her words and will yourself to _just_ _believe_ in its echo. _'No one's as pretty as you.'_

You close your eyes, letting vigil seep out of your mind as she strokes your cheek in time.

_Ba-boom. Ba-boom._

'I still love you.' Her fingers say.

You reply, but only in your mind, leaning into her soft touch.

-_I love you too._


End file.
